ESPN's NBA draft sleepers: Jarrey
Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 9:15 amhttp://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_ ... -prospects
Jarrey Foster | SMU | Junior
Player type: Gritty 3-and-D forward
Physical profile: 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, 7-foot wingspan
The Houston native was an unheralded recruit out of high school, ranked as the 306th-best player in the 2015 class, according to the Recruiting Services Consensus Index (RSCI). Foster adopted basketball late, spending most of his youth on the gridiron before hanging up his cleats after a wrist injury his freshman season. Foster grew late (5-foot-11 as a freshman) and played for a small AAU club that didn't get much national exposure. Foster eventually grew to around 6-foot-5 and played mostly center on his high school team, leading North Shore Senior to a state championship while winning MVP as a junior. Foster tore his ACL during an AAU game the summer before his senior season, which slowed his recruitment considerably. Originally a Rice commit, Foster bulked up while injured and eventually signed with SMU, where he has improved incrementally since arriving on campus in 2015.
"I always had the aggressiveness on the offensive boards and the defensive side, but my offensive game has really evolved as I've been in college, and now this year I have an opportunity to step into a role where I'll have to score the ball more and have the ball in my hands a little bit more," Foster said. "I made sure this summer that I put in the work and made sure I was comfortable in those situations."
Now a leader on an SMU team that lost Semi Ojeleye, Sterling Brown and Ben Moore to the NBA/G League, Foster has developed into a legitimate NBA draft prospect who has the attributes that teams are looking for.
Jarrey Foster throws down a ferocious dunk, blocks shot on the other end.Jarrey Foster flexes muscle on both sides of the ball by dunking and then swatting on shot on the other end
Strengths
Tremendous frame at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds. Tree trunk legs. Physical specimen. Long arms, big hands. Good leaper in space. Finishes above the rim.
Elite defender. Plays power forward and some center for the Mustangs. Defended Deandre Ayton against Arizona and Mohamed Bamba during a preseason scrimmage. Switches onto guards with little problem. Physical and competitive with quick feet and a 7-foot wingspan. Blocks 1.6 shots per 40 minutes. Projects as an elite wing defender in the NBA.
Greatly improved jump-shooter. Much more fluid release than early in his career. On balance, catches in rhythm, ball comes out smoothly. Still not prolific but has made great progress.
Active cutter and offensive rebounder. Does all the little things that don't always show up in the box score. Plays within himself. Smart facilitator in simple situations.
Praised for his work ethic and intangibles. Vocal on the floor. Has leadership qualities at age 21.
Improvement areas
Not the most natural scorer or shot creator. Doesn't create much space off the dribble. Mostly a straight-line driver. Average ball handler. Turns down open looks at times.
Career free throw percentage (55.9) will raise questions about his shooting, though his mechanics are strong. Much better with his feet set than off the dribble.
Can improve his finesse around the rim. Doesn't get to the free throw line as often as you'd expect given his physical profile (2.9 attempts per 40 minutes).
Outlook
Fellow SMU junior and 6-foot-6 guard Shake Milton has garnered most of the national publicity from an NBA standpoint, but Foster is an excellent prospect in his own right.
His willingness to embrace playing the 4 for SMU as a defender, screener, diver, passer and occasional shooter speaks to his unselfishness, and he has more than adequate size and strength to play a fair amount of 4 in the modern NBA. His numbers might never jump off the box score, but it's easy to see Foster sliding into a role at the NBA level, and his impressive approach to the game will allow him to maximize his potential long-term. Expect NBA scouts to ramp up their homework on the 6-foot-6 junior, as he's a legitimate prospect that checks all the right boxes.
Jarrey Foster | SMU | Junior
Player type: Gritty 3-and-D forward
Physical profile: 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, 7-foot wingspan
The Houston native was an unheralded recruit out of high school, ranked as the 306th-best player in the 2015 class, according to the Recruiting Services Consensus Index (RSCI). Foster adopted basketball late, spending most of his youth on the gridiron before hanging up his cleats after a wrist injury his freshman season. Foster grew late (5-foot-11 as a freshman) and played for a small AAU club that didn't get much national exposure. Foster eventually grew to around 6-foot-5 and played mostly center on his high school team, leading North Shore Senior to a state championship while winning MVP as a junior. Foster tore his ACL during an AAU game the summer before his senior season, which slowed his recruitment considerably. Originally a Rice commit, Foster bulked up while injured and eventually signed with SMU, where he has improved incrementally since arriving on campus in 2015.
"I always had the aggressiveness on the offensive boards and the defensive side, but my offensive game has really evolved as I've been in college, and now this year I have an opportunity to step into a role where I'll have to score the ball more and have the ball in my hands a little bit more," Foster said. "I made sure this summer that I put in the work and made sure I was comfortable in those situations."
Now a leader on an SMU team that lost Semi Ojeleye, Sterling Brown and Ben Moore to the NBA/G League, Foster has developed into a legitimate NBA draft prospect who has the attributes that teams are looking for.
Jarrey Foster throws down a ferocious dunk, blocks shot on the other end.Jarrey Foster flexes muscle on both sides of the ball by dunking and then swatting on shot on the other end
Strengths
Tremendous frame at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds. Tree trunk legs. Physical specimen. Long arms, big hands. Good leaper in space. Finishes above the rim.
Elite defender. Plays power forward and some center for the Mustangs. Defended Deandre Ayton against Arizona and Mohamed Bamba during a preseason scrimmage. Switches onto guards with little problem. Physical and competitive with quick feet and a 7-foot wingspan. Blocks 1.6 shots per 40 minutes. Projects as an elite wing defender in the NBA.
Greatly improved jump-shooter. Much more fluid release than early in his career. On balance, catches in rhythm, ball comes out smoothly. Still not prolific but has made great progress.
Active cutter and offensive rebounder. Does all the little things that don't always show up in the box score. Plays within himself. Smart facilitator in simple situations.
Praised for his work ethic and intangibles. Vocal on the floor. Has leadership qualities at age 21.
Improvement areas
Not the most natural scorer or shot creator. Doesn't create much space off the dribble. Mostly a straight-line driver. Average ball handler. Turns down open looks at times.
Career free throw percentage (55.9) will raise questions about his shooting, though his mechanics are strong. Much better with his feet set than off the dribble.
Can improve his finesse around the rim. Doesn't get to the free throw line as often as you'd expect given his physical profile (2.9 attempts per 40 minutes).
Outlook
Fellow SMU junior and 6-foot-6 guard Shake Milton has garnered most of the national publicity from an NBA standpoint, but Foster is an excellent prospect in his own right.
His willingness to embrace playing the 4 for SMU as a defender, screener, diver, passer and occasional shooter speaks to his unselfishness, and he has more than adequate size and strength to play a fair amount of 4 in the modern NBA. His numbers might never jump off the box score, but it's easy to see Foster sliding into a role at the NBA level, and his impressive approach to the game will allow him to maximize his potential long-term. Expect NBA scouts to ramp up their homework on the 6-foot-6 junior, as he's a legitimate prospect that checks all the right boxes.